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WEIMAR. — Emancipation of the School. - The Chamber has agreed to ask of government a new school bill embracing the following points:-1. That school instruction should aim higher. 2. That the board of inspection should have no necessary connection with the church, and should be composed chiefly of men of pædagogic training and experience. 3. That the outward circumstances of the teacher should be improved. All were agreed on the last of these points, but animated debates took place on the first and second, and the resolution, as a whole, was carried by only a small majority.

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Proceedings of Societies.

on.

The art of correct breathing has also to be studied. If we do not breathe well we cannot read well. The lungs should be kept full through the nostrils. The nostrils should be kept clear, the mouth moist. The Book of Wisdom teaches good physiology in the verse, "The nostrils are made to breathe through."

COLLEGE OF PRECEPTORS.-At the monthly meet-shoulders back, chest expanded, windpipe vertical ing, 10th May, the Rev. J. D. D'Orsey of Cambridge chin at right angles, head to command the audience, and of King's College, London, the eminent lecturer not bending over the book. The last implies the on Public Reading, gave an address to the members heresy of looking off the book, and doubts the prinof the college. He began by remarking that, like ciple of the stern common school order of "Look ou Canning's hero, the miserable knife-grinder, of "story your book, Sir." Good readers look off more than he had none to tell," or of paper he had none to read. Their eye wanders in advance of what the brain He had for twenty-five years been in the habit of is delivering to the tongue; the glance is ten words speaking verbatim, in a plain and homely style, to in advance of the expression. It is of the greatest every kind and every size of audience. He had lec- importance in reading aloud to stand upright. tured to two and also to eighteen hundred. When he came to London three years ago, he invited the clergy to meet him, but advertisements and private circulars only brought him an audience of two. Since then, he had had sixteen hundred clergymen apply to him for counsel or lessons in the matter of Church reading. His audience at the College of Preceptors, owing to the weather and the latencss of the season, was likewise small, but it was intelligent, and would grow like that of the clergy. One reason why people don't come to a lecture on reading is, that all people think they can read, and ninty-nine out of a hundred would pass it by thinking there is nothing in it; for did they not get the gold medal for reading at Dotheboys? Mr D'Orsey's subject was not elementary reading; no magic method of reducing years to weeks, but the art of reading aloud. He divided this subject into three heads:

Mr D'Orsey illustrated this part of his lecture by rapid mouth breathing and shewed how quickly voice was affected-restored again by drinking water. He also mimicked speaking with empty lungs, a not uncommon fault in sermons, and shewed and contrasted the voice with lungs full.

The speaking and reading voice require educating. No one disputes the necessity of educating the singing voice. Singing is a gift improved by taste, and reading is analogous. Singers spend months in vocalisation to strengthen, sweeten, and make more flexible the voice. A similar course is required in

1. The Mechanical part of the subject. 2. The schools for reading. The consequence of its general Intellectual. 3. The Emotional.

Notwithstanding our College of Preceptors, our Parliament, and our public speeches, the subject is not well understood. Lord Palmerston was right in his speech at Romsey, referring to reading aloud, when he said we could not do it,

Mr D'Orsey mimicked the favourite attitudes of readers, with shoulders shrugged, chest contracted, windpipe curved, the worst position possible for the purpose. In school, the pupils are all in attitudes. The true position for reading is, heels together,

omission is, that the reading voice in 99 per cent. cases is latent. Each school has its own whine. Ladies in their whine let the last notes perish like slaves on the middle passage. The lecturer then displayed the power of the speaking voice, by taking the expression "the power of speech," and pitching it successively on the notes of the speech gamut, from the deepest chest tones to the falsetto, exhibiting a power out of common reach of not screaming.

Between the divisions of his subject, Mr D'Orsey caused the meeting to rise for conversation and rest

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-an interval taken advantage of by Dr Wilson for the miracle of the loaves and fishes. Others develope a lengthy exposition of his views.

That it is as practicable to teach the management of the speech notes as of the vocal, the reverend lecturer gave many good-humoured but grotesque and laugh able examples. As a rule, he said, the English do not open their mouths. Milton's letter to Hartlib speaks of it. Distinct articulation is impossible without opening well the mouth. Mr D'Orsey's Portuguese tutor continually cried to him, "Open your mouth," 'Open your mouth," and he had had to thank that tutor for a useful lesson. A gentleman entering holy orders had been to him (Mr D'Orsey) for an impediment-the impediment was simply mumbling. His lips were of wood, and the advice given was Sit down before your glass and make faces." He pursued this remedy for three months, and his lips became india-rubber, and no one could have discovered that he ever suffered from imperfect speech. The remedy for lisping on the other hand is, to close the teeth and not let the tongue come out The misuse of H, V, W, R, and G were dilated upon, and humoursome examples given from the north countries, from the pulpit, the bar, and the House of Commons. The lecturer defended the aspiration of wh in white and whale and such like words, or rather that the aspirate should not be altogether dropped.

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The lecturer concluded by regretting that he could only give in a lecture hints for development- | not go into the subject. A golden rule to observe to shew that the intellect is active in your reading, is to read as you speak. Conventional reading is detected at once. The good reader's voice sounds as if the subject is spoken, and a person outside the door would not be able to distinguish the transitions to and fro between reading to speaking. The lecture, cited the Rev. Mr Mackenzie of Holloway and Charles Dickens as good readers, who with book in hand would be thought speaking. He then asked promiscuously for a book from the company, and carelessly handling it, surprised the company by saying, I have been reading for a minute or two, and passed the book to the chairman with the proof ecce signum. The intellect expresses itself through the voice, Emotion is expressed by emphasis. All language consists of notional and relational words, i.e of ideas and connectives. Bad readers emphasise all alike.

Not one hundred churches in England read the Lord's prayer properly. As a skilful player performs with gradations of emphasis on the piano, so a good reader passes over the little words to bring out the force of the important ones. Over abundance of emphasis is, however, worse than deficiency. The text, "Saddle me the ass, and the saddled him," is curiously altered by excess of emphasis, and it is not improved by another change, as "Saddle me the ass, &c.," though made applicable to so bad a reader. A Milesian thought all the italics in the Bible meant emphasis, and put a curious construction upon the phrase, and they did eat," in

the prepositions, and swallow up essential words Emotional, pathetic, stormy, jubilant words are rendered all alike. Emotion like taste is not to be taught. Hints and examples only can be given.

This important and interesting lecture kept the attention of the meeting so long, that but little time was left for debate. Dr Hodgson, Mr Alfred Jones, and Mr D'Orsey made remarks, and with the usual vote of thanks, the meeting ended.

The subject for June is," The Teaching of Elemen tary Mathematics."

EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTE.-The Standing Committee, Board of Examiners, and Committee of Management, met on the 13th May. The Standing Com mittee remitted to the sub-committee to prepare the heads of an education bill, and bring them, for consideration, before the different local associations, and the next general meeting. The General Committee had under their consideration the case of members and fellows whose contributions were in arrears. The other business was routine.

EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTE.-A meeting of the Edinburgh Local Assocation was held on the 13th May, when the principal business was the consideration of the heads of a bill brought before the meeting by the Rev. David Brown. They are as follows:-In schools the Bible shall be used as the only text-book for teaching religion, leaving the catechisms to be taught by the parents, the clergy, and Sabbathschool teachers. But where teaching the catechism is insisted on, then allow the children of Episcopalians, Roman Catholics, and any others whose parents may object, to dispense with learning it; and

allow these children the use of the class-room at other than school hours, when religion may be taught by some one of their own denomination. That Scotland be divided into school districts, and a school-house and dwelling-house for the teacher be erected in each district where these do not already exist. That property in each district be assessed for education, in the same way as it is at present assessed for the support of the poor. That local boards be appointed, consisting of the heritors, and a certain number elected annually by the rate-payers who are not heritors from among themselves; the board to elect the teacher, fix and collect the assessment, keep the property in repair, fix the fees to be paid by the children, and, along with the teacher, regulate the branches to be taught, and the books to be used. The ministers of religion in the district shall either be ex officio members of this board, or all only eligible for election as other ratepayers. A general committee shall be appointed, consisting of a professor from each of the four Universities, with the Lord Advocate, the secretary of the Educational Institute of Scotland, and one member nominated by the Queen, to whom all differences arising between the

teacher and the local board shall be referred, and
whose decision shall be final. The teacher shall re-
ceive from the local board a salary of not less than
£60 per annum, and in addition the fees of the chil-
dren, with a dwelling-house and garden; and when
he becomes nnable to discharge the duties of his
office, eitar from sickness or age, he shall be entitled
to receive two-thirds of his salary during the re-
mainder of his life. The government shall annually
pay over to the general committee the sum of seventy
thousand pounds, out of which sum the committee
shall pay for inspection, assist some of the poorer
districts, pay the salaries of necessary assistants,
with all other expenses connected with their duties
as a committee, and then, if any of the sum re-
main, divide it among the most efficient teachers.
All who intend to be teachers shall require to attend
at least two sessions at one of the Universities, study
Latin, Greek, geometry, algebra, and natural philo-
sophy, &c. No teacher shall be eligible for election
as head-master of any educational establishment,
until he has acted as an assistant-master, and has
been examined by the Educational Institute and the
General Committee. After a long discussion, the
document was remitted to a committee, consisting
of Messrs Pryde, Brown, and Kennedy, who were
instructed to revise it, and report to the meeting
held on the first Saturday of June.

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resolution, which entitled assistants to admission
without other qualification, was passed by a con-
siderable majority. The discussion on the essay
was broached by Mr Edmed of Reedham, who ex-
pressed some disappointment that a paper entitled
"Results," should only have referred to general
moral results, rather than to the results to which the
public mind is now so much directed, that is to say,
the rudiments enforced by the new code. Mr Alfred
Jones complimented the essayist upon the modesty
and earnestness of his paper, and took up in turn
the promiscuous topics extracted from the “Diary of
the Veteran Schoolmaster." He suggested another
view of several of these topics. Thus, with punc-
tuality some teachers aimed at martial rigour, and
made it an unforgiven sin if a child varied by a
minute in his arrival at school at any time. He
(Mr Jones) preferred to make the school emulate the
precision of a well-ordered household, where every-
thing should proceed regularly and punctually, but
under the influence of social and domestic love, in
lieu of that of the drill-serjeant. He could not agree
with the essayist that flogging was ever a good in
school, and refuted the statement that it was, by a
reference to University College School, where flogging
has ever been unknown. On the subject of public
prayer in schools, he (Mr Jones) neither admired
teachers for practising prayer, nor condemned them
for not. If a teacher accepts an appointment where
prayer is consonant to his own feelings, and to the
feelings of his managers, he is right in the practice.
But numerous schools leave theology to parents and
pastors, and do so by their desire and concurrence.
Mr Colin Roberts, Mr Ryder, Mr Freestone, and
others joined in the discussion; which was brought
to a close by a speech from Mr Robert Sanders, the
secretary, and the summing up of the president.

ELEMENTARY TEACHERS' ASSOCIATION QUARTERLY
MEETING, 6TH MAY 1865.-A paper was read by Mr
Wallbridge, entitled Results," being extracts from
the diary of a veteran schoolmaster. The writer
introduced the subject by stating that there were
results of a teacher's life-work other than those
which are obtained by an inspector's examination;
and which results constitute the truest glory of an
educator of youth, afford the most pleasing incentives
to his great and noble work, and are such as will be ASSOCIATION OF CERTIFICATED SCHOOLMASTERS OF
sure to follow the labours and endeavours of every SCOTLAND.-The petition to Parliament for the fur-
teacher thoroughly and truly earnest, conscientious, ther suspension of the Revised Code in Scotland,
and faithful. The writer then proceeded to extract got up under the auspices of this Association, was
from his diary a number of well-selected facts, de- transmitted to London at the beginning of May,
rived from his own experience of many years, bear- with 366 signatures; but as the Committee of Council
ing upon the formation of moral and religious had then agreed to do what the petition asked, Mr
character, and which clearly proved that he had not Dunlop deemed it unnecessary to take any further
laboured in vain. The writer closed the extracts by steps in the matter. The prospects of the Associa-
saying, that a teacher of the young who wishes to tion are still improving. The membership exceeds
impress the stamp of a good character on his pupils, 200, while arrangements are in progress for the
must be good himself, and most thoroughly con- affiliation of old District Associations, and the
scientious: boys are keenly perceptive of right-doing, formation of new ones. A circular is being prepared
and soon detect flaws in those whose theory and on this subject, the main points of which will be,
practice do not agree.
It is the duty of teachers that the greater number of small sections of teachers
to seek by every means (God helping them) to make there may be for the discussion of educational topics,
the better boy become the better man-a duty which the better will the objects of the Association be
can be carried out more powerfully by example than served; every certificated teacher should be a mem-
by precept. Previous to criticism upon the essay, ber of some branch; all branch members to be mem-
the advisability of admitting assistants to the quar-bers of the general body, and pay the entrance-fee;
terly meetings, and under what conditions, was dis- local expenses, when necessary, to be defrayed by
cussed. After various amendments, the original local subscriptions; branches to be in every other

respect independent; secretaries to be in communication with the general secretary, who will keep them up in information, and receive suggestions for consideration by the Directors, and in the case of any important matter to be brought before the Directors, the opinions of district associations will be asked, previously to any action being taken on it. The constitution must remain intact until the next annual meeting in March 1866, when alterations found necessary in the mean time can be made. The Directors are at present engaged in drawing up a series of questions on a national system of education, with their opinions on them, to be a basis for the members individually to consider and make up their minds on the leading points at present agitated throughout the country, that they may be ready forcibly to express their own views when asked, and have them properly represented to the sub-commissioners.

YORKSHIRE BRITISH AND WESLEYAN TEACHERS' ASSOCIATION.-The Seventh Annual Meeting was held in the Wesleyan Schools, Darley Street, Leeds, on Saturday the 20th of May-the president, J. G. Fitch, Esq., M.A., H.M. Inspector of Schools, in the chair. Present also, H.M. Inspector, Arthur Milman, Esq., and fifty-three teachers. After the election of officers and other preliminary business had been disposed of, Mr Ingleton of Bradford read a well written, elaborate, and useful essay on "Home Lessons," in which he strongly recommended the use of exercise books in preference to slates for home work. A well conducted system of home lessons would accustom the children to habits of self-reliance and neatness, store their minds with useful knowledge, and secure the co-operation of the parents. Seven or eight of the teachers took part in the discussion of the subject. Mr Drury of Halifax read the second

paper, "Public Examinations," on which remarks were made by Messrs Rowbotham and Bradbury. The third subject, "The School Library," was introduced by Mr Rowbotham of Pontefract, and continued by Messrs Hardcastle and Lupton, who had good libraries connected with their schools.

The chairman closed the discussion of each subject by very valuable remarks on the subjects generally, and on topics incidentally introduced by the various speakers. Home lessons should be supplemental rather than preliminary, the reproduction or revision of lessons given in school, and not new lessons to prepare. Care should be taken in selecting the lessons, which should be short and definite, and subjected to a rigid supervision. Public examinations might be made useful as a means of advertising a good school, and securing the co-operation of the parents. No time should be spent in specially preparing for such examinations, they should not interfere with the regular school work for a single week, the child should be prepared for them all the year round They should be so conducted as to shew what the pupils have learnt and how they are instructed. A good library was a valuable accessory to a day school. It should consist of interesting as well as instructive books, yet it was not advisable to have all the books written down to the capacities of children; some of them should be of a higher character, if it were only to shew the pupils that there is something beyond and above them, which they should endeavour by persevering effort to acquire.

Arthur Milman, Esq, concurred in the remarks of the president. His fear was that, in carrying out the home lesson system, the children were frequently worked too hard.

Most of the members dined together, and spent the remainder of the afternoon in visiting the Town Hall, Museum, and other places of interest.

The Month.

BRITISH MUSEUM.-Amidst the various discus- | houses of a peculiar kind of property belonging sions which at present occupy the public mind in regard to the British Museum, there is one question which does not seem to us to have received the attention which it merits. It is again and again said that the British Museum is a national | institution, but the question is rarely asked, How is this national institution to benefit the nation on the widest scale? Government, and especially officials of the institution, are apt to look on the British Museum and similar places as mere store

to the nation. The books and objects are sent there to be deposited, and, if they are safely deposited and the stores accumulate, the whole end of the institution is considered as accomplished. But those who look with non-official eyes, regard the storing up of materials as only the preparation for accomplishing the real end of the insti tution, and they look upon the real end of it as the placing within the reach of all, on the fairest terms to all, the means of investigation and of

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culture. But a difficulty arises from the very nature of the property which is stored up. A rare edition can be only in one place at one time. A rare work of art is under the same limitations. And so whenever such collections take place, they must have a definite locality, and be easily accessible only to those who reside in the neighbourhood of that locality. This cannot be helped. But a question arises, Can these valuable collections not be made of some use to that largest portion of the nation which is scattered over the country at considerable distances from the special seats of the national collections? Now, we think, a great deal can be done and ought to be done,

and we shall state how.

We shall take first the case of the British Museum Library. Among the donations made to that library, many duplicates occur. What should be done with these duplicates? Should there not be libraries of the same nature as that of the British Museum in all the very important towns in Britain and Ireland, and should not the duplicates be distributed among them? The trustees of the British Museum have not acted on this principle hitherto. We have in our library several valuable volumes marked "Museum Britannicum," 1831, duplicate for sale." Nay, we suspect that they have been actually stingy in their treatment of other libraries. The trustees of the British Museum Library, for instance, ordered photographic facsimiles of the remains of the Epistles of Clement of Rome, made from the unique copy preserved in the Codex Alexandrinus, to be published, but we doubt if any library in the kingdom was favoured with a copy of this curious document; and if there were a few, we are sure that they must have been very few. Nay, we do not know if a copy of it has yet found its way into the British Museum library itself.

Then, again, the Natural History collections must continually receive duplicates. Should there not be national collections in each of the great towns of the country, and might not these be vastly benefited by the superabundance of the British Museum treasures?

The same remarks might be made in regard to nearly all the departments of national storehouses. For instance, the National Gallery in London groans under its load of Turners, but the National Gallery in Edinburgh has not one single specimen of the prince of landscape painters.

But the British Museum could do more than this; and we shall choose again, for example's sake, one department. There is nothing that tends to foster a living scholarship so much as an intimate acquaintance with the remains of anti

quity, and besides this, these remains awaken and cherish a sense of the beautiful among the masses. The Elgin marbles can only be in one place, but copies of them might be in many places. Should there not be over the country places in which the treasures of the British Museum might act on the masses and be valuable to scholars through copies? These copies, if well executed, are for all essential purposes as useful as the originals. The New Museum of Berlin, though entirely filled with copies, is as instructive and as interesting as the old Museum, with its originals. In this matter, continental towns are vastly before us. Bonn is an insignificant town, yet we do not know that there is a single place in England out of London in which the classical student could study so well the remains of ancient sculpture. Every university and every large town should have its sculpture gallery, and a very considerable number of these sculpture galleries should be entitled to receive a copy of every important work bought for the British Museum.

In one word, the great collections in London should be centres from which the whole nation should reap instruction. They should be great educational establishments, supplying the whole nation with the means of scientific and aesthetic cultivation.

FIRST REPORT OF THE SCOTTISH EDUCATION COMMISSION.-OPINIONS ON THE REVISED CODE.-Mr Gordon, inspector, thinks "the individual examination is well fitted for Scotland." Being asked, whether the fact that the grants "depending on attendance, over which the parents, and not the teacher, had control, would such tell severely on the teacher?" Mr Gordon safely enough responds, "It may be." Dr Cumming found the examination under the new code "excessively wearisome in some cases, but he thinks that the examina tion" will secure that a certain attainment will be reached by all the children. He thinks the standard has been rising, but under the Revised Code "it will fall," and has heard of instances where the teaching of grammar and geography was discontinued, because no remuneration was got for it. He thinks that the regulations “will have an injurious effect on the older children." Mr Laurie thinks, that, under the new code, the payments made to schools, "especially in remote localities, such as the Highlands and Islands," would be seriously reduced, and is also of opinion that "the money should not be so much dependent on the results of examination as under the Revised Code." Dr Cook says, speaking of the method of payment under the Revised Code, "I

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